


The Afterglow

by ThatGoodSludge



Category: Homestuck
Genre: F/M, shameless fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-27
Updated: 2019-08-27
Packaged: 2020-09-27 19:28:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20413078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatGoodSludge/pseuds/ThatGoodSludge
Summary: John and Terezi have a long overdue feelings jam following an intimate moment.





	The Afterglow

**Author's Note:**

> Pretty much some incredibly self indulgent Johnrezi fluff. Set after a supposed happy ending to the Meat Epiloge, the fantastical events of which I will not bore you with.

It's after she slides off of him and tears her hands off his neck that they both notice it's raining. The apartment is in New Cantown, moved into at the suggestion that him moping in his childhood home for god knows how long was probably not for the best and her not having a place to stay, but resolutely deciding not to live like a hermit.

She sits up and pulls on the shirt she tore off him a few minutes ago. It drapes down her short frame as she makes her way to the bathroom in a stagger poorly disguised as a strut. 

He exhales and retcons the bitemarks from his collarbone, then the bruises from his arms and clawmarks from his back. As great as they feel in the moment, it makes decompressing feel difficult to keep them around. And that wasn't even starting on what people would say if they saw him like this.

By the time he's largely returned to normal, tussled hair and stunned expression aside, Terezi returns and flops down on the bed next to him.  
She snorts out a laugh and traces her finger along the suddenly blank and unassailed stretch of his skin on his neck. It's as good as new, but her bruising and nipping can still be felt in the way he breathes. 

They have been back two weeks. He's staring at the ceiling, glasses off and focused on nothing in particular. She makes a small moaning sound and nuzzles sideways into the crook of his neck. Outside it's pouring down.

Terezi: YOU'R3 SO W4RM.

He pulls the petite troll close, planting a pair of kisses on each of her eyelids that catches her completely off guard. 

John: And you're so soft.

Terezi: DORK!!

After being stuck out in space for so long, being held in his arms again still feels like a miracle. For a while they lie there in a comfortable silence, just listening to the storm outside. The room is the same dark blue colour as the sky. It's unlit, but the edge of the neon lights from the skyline beyond play through a nearby window.

Terezi: YOU KNOW 1 R34LLY M1SS3D TH3 R41N.

John: The rain on Alternia? I heard anyone caught in it would basically get melted alive.

Terezi: GR4NT3D, BUT 1T ST1LL US3D TO SOUND R34LLY COOL WH3N 1T W4S JUST M3 M3D1T4T1NG 1N MY H1V3.

John: Was that after the thing with Vriska and the-

Terezi: Y3P. 4NYW4Y 1 W4SN'T SP3C1F1C4LLY T4LK1NG 4BOUT TH3 R41N ON 4LT3RN14, THOUGH 1T D1D SM3LL L1K3 SOUR C4NDY 4ND M4K3 TH1S B4D4SS S1ZZL1NG SOUND. 1 M1SS3D TH3 R41N H3R3.

John: Not enough for you to stay.

She untangles herself from him and points her face in his direction. Her grin is implacable as always, but he feels he's crossed a line and mentally punches himself.

Terezi: JOHN, 4R3 YOU J34LOUS TH4T TH3 F1RST T1M3 1 L3FT TH1S PL4N3T TO TRY 4ND S4V3 SOM3BODY 1 LOV3, 1T W4SN'T YOU?

John: Ugh, no I meant-

She cuts him off by suddenly leaning back in and dragging her tongue across his cheek.

Terezi: >:] MMM. M4D3 YOU BLUSH.

John: Dammit Terezi!

Terezi: 1 C4N'T H3LP 1T!! YOU T4ST3 JUST L1K3 4 B1G R1P3 CH3RRY WH3N YOU G3T FLUST3R3D.

John: Nicest thing anyone's ever said to me.

Terezi: 4NYW4Y, TH3 R34SON 1 M1SS3D TH3 R41N 1S TH4T TH3R3 1S L1T3R4LLY FUCK 4LL TH3R3 1N SP4C3.  
Terezi: WH3N 1 H34R R41N F4LL1NG OUTS1D3 1T R3M1NDS M3 TH4T TH3 WORLD 3X1STS 4ND TH4T 1T'S FULL OF P3OPL3.  
Terezi: ON TH4T SH1P W1TH ROS3 4ND TH4T STR1D3R D1PSH1T TH3R3 W4S NOTH1NG OUT TH3R3. 4T 4LL.

He props himself up on his elbow while she speaks and stares at her.

John: I'm sorry.

Terezi: WH4T FOR?

John: For leaving you like that.

She sighs and chuckles.

Terezi: YOU D1DN'T R34LLY H4V3 MUCH OF 4 CHO1C3 FROM WH4T 1 R3M3MB3R.

John: Still I-

Terezi: DON'T G3T SOPPY ON M3 3GGDORK >>:]  
Terezi: 1 H4D 4 PROBL3M FOR 4 LONG T1M3. 1 W4S 4LW4YS LOOK1NG FOR 3XCUS3S TO B3 4LON3, 3V3N 1F 1T W4S FOR 4 GOOD R34SON L1K3 F1ND1NG VR1SK4 OR BR1NG1NG 4 C3RT41N 4DOR4BL3 HUM4N B4CK FROM TH3 J4WS OF D34TH.  
Terezi: 1 R34LLY JUST F3LT L1K3 1 D1DN'T B3LONG 4NYWH3R3 4ND 1F 1 W3NT F4R 3NOUGH 4W4Y 31TH3R 1'D F1ND SOM3WH3R3 WH3R3 1 F3LT D1FF3R3NTLY OR M4YB3 JUST V4N1SH 4LTOG3TH3R.  
Terezi: B3COM3 NOTH1NG.

John's eyes water slightly at this. He slowly reaches out and grips her hand, gaze not leaving her face the entire time.

John: Terezi...

Terezi: BUT 1T'S D1FF3R3NT NOW. 1 H4V3N'T B33N 4BL3 TO S4Y TH1S S1NC3 B3FOR3 3V3RYTH1NG W3NT CR4ZY ON 4LT3RN14, BUT 1 TH1NK 1'V3 FOUND MY HOM3. 1T'S H3R3.  
Terezi: 3V3N WH3N YOU'R3 B31NG 4 TOT4L W33N13 4BOUT TH1NGS, WH3N 1'M W1TH YOU 1 W4NT TO B3 4 P4RT OF TH3 WORLD. YOU'R3 MY HOM3, JOHN.

He's at a loss for words. She can sense the mixture of shock and profound joy on his face and feel her own get flushed with teal. Suddenly he bear hugs her and brings his lips to hers. The kiss is slow, soft and wet. She savours the taste. For a few minutes they are both silent, save for the sound of each other breathing, barely audible over the storm.

Without warning she suddenly jabs a finger into his chest and pulls back slightly. It's not a particularly hard poke, but it takes him by surprise. He looks across at her quizzically and sees a look of mischief firmly planted on her face. She theatrically bats her eyes at him, a move that while weirdly cute was also a sign that she was about to start something.

Terezi: YOU KNOW JOHN, TH3R3 1S ON3 L1TTL3 TH1NG TH4T YOU DO N33D TO 4POLOG1S3 FOR...

John: Huh?

Terezi: YOU'V3 ST1LL N3V3R M4D3 UP FOR CRO4K1NG L1K3 4 TOT4L CHUMP WH1L3 CONF3SS1NG TO M3 >:P

Despite all their recent intimacy, this catches him off balance.

John: Well Terezi, you see-  
John: The thing is-  
John: I was so scared that I wouldn't have time later to-

He stammers. She just grins back at him. He sighs and tries to collect himself.

John: I know it was too soon to say something like that and in the worst possible place in reality probably, but it just felt so urgent.  
John: I didn't mean to put you in a difficult position and didn't mean to make what happened next hurt you even more.  
John: Part of me wishes I could say that it was just Dirk making me say it to screw with the both of us, but I know that wouldn't be true.  
John: Just... sorry that I couldn't hang on long enough to really tell you how you make me feel.  
John: Sorry I took something so genuine and used it to ruin such a big part of your life.

As he speaks the toothy grin on her face starts to contract itself into a rare closed mouth smile. The look she gives him there is still layered in meaning in a way he can only scratch the surface of, but there's something real and serene about it that makes his heart skip a beat.

Terezi: JOHN, YOU 1D1OT.

Suddenly, she wraps an arm around his neck, then balls her free hand into a fist and proceeds to give him a huge nuggy.

John: Ow, Terezi, what the hell?

Terezi: H3H3H3H3H3H3H3H3!!  
Terezi: 1'V3 GOT YOU NOW. YOU H4V3 TO S4Y 1T JOHN. YOU H4V3 TO S4Y 1T R1GHT TH1S T1M3!!

He slumps out of her arms, sits forward and jams his eyes shut.

John: Ok, so there's this girl I like...

She snorts.

Terezi: GO ON >;]

John: I met her back when I was a kid and she was really good at getting on my nerves, like to the point it became kind of fun.  
John: We didn't talk for a while after she nearly fooled me into getting killed though.

Terezi: WHY NOT, SH3 SOUNDS 4W3SOM3??

John:A couple years later I met her for in person for the first time and even though things had gotten really bad, she was still really smart and brave.  
John: She basically fixed everything and gave all of us a second chance.  
John: The funny thing was she was in a really bad state at the time, but I still had this thought in the back of my mind that she was actually kind of cute.

As he speaks, she crawls around him and sits up on the bed so they're now face to face. 

Terezi: WH4T H4PP3N3D TH3N??

John: The next time we met things had worked out better.  
John: She was back to messing with me, but it was in person this time and it was- it felt really nice. She was just so fun and exciting to be around. Somehow I felt like I had known her all my life.  
John: We ended up spending some time together, but she left to do something important and I was stuck wondering if I would ever see her again.

Terezi: WHY??

He slides his palms up on either side of her face and leans in close.

John: Because without her, none of this felt real. 

John: I love you Terezi. I always will.

She's completely still for a moment. Inside her, some kind of chemical reaction occurs. Terezi takes a sharp breath. It seems like eternity since the time she nearly heard those words for the first time. She makes a bizarre noise that's sounds somewhere between a moan and a giggle. He kisses her again, this time just a quick peck on the lips, but there's a kind of simple earnestness to it that sets both their hearts racing. 

When they break off, she slowly takes his hand and draws it to her face, then gingerly takes his thumb and bites down on it just hard enough to draw a pinprick of blood. He winces for a moment but sighs contentedly when she begins to suck on it. With his free hand he gently caresses her hair.

Outside, the world turns and the deluge shows no sign of stopping. Inside, time stands still for both of them.


End file.
